One Pot Pasta Recipe (with Zucchini and Sausage)

One-pot dinners are our favorite type of weeknight meal. Like our other one-pot meals, Mulligatawny Soup and Fettuccine Alfredo, cooking is as easy as cleaning up with everything being one in one dish.

While any one-pot pasta is a clear winner, we’ve combined savory spicy sausage with fresh zucchini, seasonings, plenty of parmesan cheese, and of course, pasta! We love using bucatini for this recipe since its thicker texture holds up well with the chunky sausage and half-moons of zucchini. For an extra special weeknight dinner, serve with a big loaf of garlic bread and a simple side salad.

How to Make Our One Pot Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

Process

1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sauté the sausage until browned and crumbled, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the zucchini, garlic and thyme and continue to sauté for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta and lower heat to medium.

5. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pasta is al dente, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Top with freshly grated parmesan and toss together.

7. Adjust seasonings and serve with more fresh grated parmesan and thyme.

Tips for the BEST One Pot Pasta

Follow these tips for the best sausage and zucchini one-pot pasta dinner!

• When browning your sausage, crumble it as it cooks with a wooden spoon. We recommend leaving the crumbles a little larger (like in the pictures) to make it easier to get on the fork while eating.
• Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded parmesan can sometimes have anti-caking agents on it that prevent the cheese from melting into the smooth creamy sauce we’re after with this recipe.
• If you’re substituting the bucatini with another type of pasta (might we recommend another long noodle like fettuccine or spaghetti), be sure to follow the directions on the box for how long to boil the particular noodles you’re using to prevent over-cooking them.

Variations

To mix things up a bit or use what you have, try these easy variations:

• Use yellow summer squash instead of or in addition to the zucchini.
• Along with parmesan cheese, you can also use pecorino romano or mozzarella cheese.
• Swap the spicy Italian sausage with mild, or use chicken or turkey sausage instead.
• If you don’t have bucatini, use spaghetti or fettuccini noodles instead.
• Can swap the chicken stock with vegetable stock if needed.

Delicious Side Dishes to Serve with Our One Pot Pasta

While this dish can absolutely be a one-pot meal with the pasta, veggies, and meat in one dish, it also goes amazingly well with:

• Cheesy Herb Pull-Apart Bread
• Caesar Salad
• Lightly Roasted Green Beans
• Caprese Salad
• Cheesy Garlic and Herb Pane Bianco

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

To store any leftovers, keep this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat, you can either microwave the pasta in 30-second increments until heated through or reheat it on the stovetop over low-medium heat until warmed through. If the pasta seems a little dry, just add a splash of chicken broth, and be sure to top with more freshly grated parmesan before enjoying your leftovers!

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